Method of and apparatus for making articles of galvanoplastic metal



Nov. 19, 1929. 1 3. RosENQvlsT METHOD OF AND APPARATUSFOR MAKING ARTICLES OF GALVANOPLASTIC METAL lNvENToR Filed April 15, 1.927

WITNESSES ma Patent Nov. '19, 1929 STATESA GUNNAB ROSENQVIST, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ARTICLES 0E GALVANOPLASTIC METAL Application filed April 1a,

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for making articles by electrolytic deposition of galvanoplastic metal.

4, It is among the objects of the invention to. provide a method of and apparatus for making articles of the above designated character in production quantities and of uniform quality in a. simple and economical manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mold having depressions provided therein of the form and dimensions of the articles to be formed which shall be adapted to be sealed olf around the portions thereof on which electrolytic delposition is made to produce an article of s arp and full sectional dimensions which shall require a minimum of finishing after the forming operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sectional mold and a supporting structure therefor to which the mold Sections are assembled, which when assembled, jointly constitute a vat or container for an electrolytic solution whichisemployed in forming electrolytic depositions on the exposed surface of the mold sections.

In the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts, Fig.'1 is a view in perspective of a supportingy frame structure for a plurality of mold sections formed in accordance with and embodying the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view partly in elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1 showing a plurality of molds assembled in their operative position; Fig. '3 is a side elevational view of a mold section; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views of enlargedportions of molds utilized in carrying out my invention illus- 40 trating the various shapes of depressions which may be provided in the mold for the electrolytic deposition of metal thereon.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, 1 designates the body of the mold preferably of metal which is'generally of the shape of its inner surface or face 2 but not necessarily so, the surface 2 being the portion of the mold on which the electrolytic deposition of the metal 3 is made. As shown in the several gures, the mold may be formed of any de- 1927. Serial No. 183,432.

sired shape and the surface on which the deposition is to be made, which may for convenience be de'signatedthe receiving surface ofthe mold, may be of any shape and formed with depressions or projections to produce correspondingly shaped articles, the surface of which may be of ornament-al configuration and design. The mold sections shown are fragments of a larger mold member such as is shown in Fig. 3 which comprises a plate 4 having a. plurality of depressions 5 vof the shape and size of t-he article to be formed and each of the-depressions adjacent its outer perlmeter is provided with a groove 6 for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

IA plurality of the mold sections 4 as shown in Fig. 3 are assembled in a support shown in Fig. 1 which comprises frame portions 7 which are arranged to constitute a rectangu lar structure having upper and lower mold supporting frames 8, the edges of which are formed with flanges 9 for receiving the molds as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. 'Mounted around the uprights 7 and stretched there across and secured thereto is a rubber liner 10, which may be of any Vother suitable flexible material, having cut out portions 11 which are in alinement with the depressions 5 of the mold sections but of smaller dimensions than the latter so that when the molds are insertedl between the flanges 9 of the upper and lower frames, the rubber liners 10 will have` vportions 12 projecting beyond the inner edges of the depressions as shown in'F ig. 2. The supporting frame structure is provided with a base or bottom 13 and when the mold sections 4 are assembled around its sides and ends in' the manner shown in Fig. 2, the mold and` supportconstitute a vat or container adapted to hold an electrolytic solution which may be circulated therein in any suitable manner, as for example by pumping the same from a suitable source of supply in the manner illustrated and described inmy Patent No. 1,594,509 granted to me August 3, 1926.

lVhen the electrolytic solution is conducted to the assembled mold structure, the pressure of the liquid against the flexible lining material 10 will press the ,latter against the inner surfaces or faces of the mold sections 4; and

by virtue of the encircling grooves' adjacent the depressions of the mold, any liquid leakbetween the face of the mold andthe l rubber lining will escape into the groove 6 from which it is conducted by passages 14 to the outside of the mold. The draining-off of the liquid escaping between the liner and the mold through the groove 6, gives full effect to the pressure of the liquid contained in the vat so that the flexible container` is firmly pressed against the face of the mold to effect a seal which is desirable for the following reasons;

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings When the electrolytic process is operative to produce a deposit of the metal 3 interiorly of the mold on the faces 2 of the depressions, the portion of the mold sealed off by the rubber liners,

will not receive a deposit 'and hence a wall section which is substantially uniform throughout will be deposited in thev depressions, and the extremities thereof adjacent the rubber liner will be sharp and free from globules or irregular or roughened edges and result in the saving of material. By the use of rubber liners in conjunction with the grooved faces of the mold sections, clamping means for pressing the liners against the faces of the mold are obviated and a large number of articles may be produced in a single operation. Thus various shaped articles may be simultaneously formed by employing molds and liners of suitable shapes and dimensions. Suitable anodes may be suspended in the assembled mold structure and `the anodes and mold sections are electrically connected to a source of current in the customary manner. In Fig. 4 the lining material 10 is provided with grooves or recesses 6al which function precisely in the manner of grooves 6 which latter may be eliminated from the face of the v mold when the lining material is grooved.

' In Figs. 5 and 6 modifications of the form of articles and correspondingly shaped molds are illustrated but it is evident that articles of any shape and configuration may be formed,that is,they may be rectangular, elliptical, or they may be raised or depressed.

It is evident from the foregoing description of the invention that by the utilization of a sectional mold grooved in the manner described and utilizing cooperating flexible lining material as set forth therein, there is provided a simple and economical means for producing articles of galvanoplastic' metal. And it is further evident that various modifications may be made in the shape of the depressions and in Vthey shape of the mold per se and that one piece molds of cylindrical or vertical or any other shape may be employed without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. Apparatus for producing articles by electrolytic deposition comprising, al mold provided with depressions vof the shape of the articles to be formed, a liner of flexible material disposed o n the inner face of the mold having cut-out portions corresponding f to said depressions but of lesser dimensions from the grooves, and a liner of flexible material disposed on the inner face of the mold and having cut-out portions registering with said depressions but projecting inwardly of sai-d depressions in alinement with the inner face of the mold, said liner being adapted to seal off the edges of the depressions when the mold is filled with an electrolytic solution.

8. Apparatus for producing articles by electrolytic deposition comprising, a base provided with a frame structure having a c flexible lining material stretched across and secured thereto, and one or more mold, sec

tions disposed around said liner, said mold sections having depressions corresponding in l shape and dimensions to the articles to bel formed, and said lining material having cutout portions in spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of the depressions and being adapted to seal the edges of the depressions when subjected to pressure of an eleotrolytic solution.. j

4. Apparatus for prbducing articles by electrolytic deposition comprising, a base provided with a frame structure having a flexible lining material stretched across and secured thereto to constitute a wall and one or more mold sections having depressions corresponding in shape and dimensions to the articles to be formed disposed around said liner and adapted for intimate contact therewith, said lining material having cut-out portions in spaced relation corresponding to the spacing of said depressions and said mold sections being provided with means for draining off any solution between the lining material and the adjacent faces of the mold sections.

5. A liquid containing mold'for galvanoplastic material provided with a depression in the inner side wall surface in the approximate shape of the outline of the article to be formed, a flexible liner of material 0n which metal will not be electro-deposited contiguous with a substantial portion of the edge of the inner mold surface and rovided with a perforation therein axially allgned with the depressionv in the mold and of substantially similar outline but of lesser area than the depression area on the inner mold surface.

6. A liquid containing mold having sectional side walls provided with depressions in the inner mold surface in the approximate shape of the outline of the articles to be formed, means for holding the side wall sections together, a liner spanning the joints between sections and covering substantially `an electrolytic solution.

8. Apparatus for producing articles by electrolytic deposition comprising a mold provided with depressions of the-shape of the articlesto be formed, and a liner disposed on the inner face of the mold having cut-out portions of substantially similar outline but of lesser area than the depression area of said mold, the projecting edges of said liner being flexible whereby lthey are pressed against the edges of the depression areas of the mold to form a sealed joint therewith when the mold is filled with an electrolytic solution.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GUNNAR ROSENQVIST. 

